The Bank of Nova Scotia (French: Banque de la Nouvelle-Écosse), commonly known as Scotiabank (French: Banque Scotia), is the third largest bank in Canada by deposits and market capitalization. It serves some 19 million customers in more than 55 countries around the world and offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking. With assets above $575 billion, Scotiabank shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.
The bank was incorporated by the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia on March 30, 1831, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with William Lawson (1772–1848) serving as the first president. The bank moved its executive offices to Toronto, Ontario, in March 1900. Scotiabank has billed itself as "Canada's International Bank" due to its acquisitions primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean, but also in Europe and India as well. BNS Institution Number (or bank number) is 002.
The company ranked at number 92 on the Forbes Global 2000 listing in 2012 and is currently under the leadership of Richard E. Waugh who serves both in the capacity of President and CEO.